The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1887-11-16
WHlTTIER'S YOUTH.
His First Published Poem and the Friend
1t Brought Him.

1t Brought Him.
Whittier began to rhyme very early
and kept his gift a secret from all ex-.
cept his oldest sister, fcaring that his
father, who was prnf vatl0san. would
think he was wasting time He wrote
under the fence, in the attic, in the
barn-whereyer he could escape OBJ
servation; and as pen and-si .S -
not always available, he somehines
used chalk. and even charcoal. Great
was the surprise of the family when
some of his verses were unearthed,
literally unearthed, from under heap
of rubbish in q garret; but his father
frowned upon these evidences of the
bent of his mind, not out of kind ness.
but because he doubted the sufliciency
of the boys education for literary
life. and did not wish to inspire him
with hopes which might never be full
filed.
His sister had faith in him. neverthe-
less. and, without his knowledge, she
sent one of his poems to the editor of
the Free Press. a newspaper published
in Newburyport Whittier was helping
his father to repair a stone wall by the
roadside. when the carrier flung copy
of the paper to him, and, unconscious
that any thing OF his was in 1t, he
opened it and glanced up and down
the columns. His eyes fell on some
verses called "Thc Exile's Depart
ure:"
1,,,,,x, s.aros uybfa1, daigytad ,rr, xo,t,f,l ~
istence,
With feelings OF sorrow bid We adieu--
a lasting adieu; for now, dim in the distance
The shores OF Hibernia recede from my
view
Farewell to the cliffs, tempestbeaten and
Which guard the loved shores OF my own ma
tive land;
Farewell to the village and sail il-shadowed bay,
The forest-crownedhin and the water-washed
strand
His eyes swan; IL was his own poem,
the first he ever had in print
What is the matter with thecP' his
father demanded, seeing how dazed he
was; but, shongh he resumed his work
on the WALL he could not speak, and
he had to steal glance at the paper
again before he could convince him
self that he was not dreaming Sure
enough. the poem was there with his
initial at the foot of it--"W., Hayer-
hill. June /, 1926" and, better still,
this editorial notice: IF w. at
Haverhill. win continue to favor US
with pieces beautiful as the one in-
serted in our poetical department of
to-day, we shall esteem it favor.
The editor thought SO much of ''The
Exile's Departure. and some other
verses which followed 1t from the same
hand. that he resolved to make tho
acquaintance Of his new contributor,
and he drove over to see him.
Whittier, then boy of eighteen. was
summoned from the fields where he
was working clad ouly In shirt.
trousers and straw hat, and having
slipped in nc the back door SO that he
might put his shoes and coat on. came
into the ON with shrinking diff
tidence. almost unable to speak, and
blushing like maiden. y The editor
was young man himself. not more
than twenty-five or twcnty-three, and
the friendship that began with this
visit lasted until death ended It. How
strong and how close it was and how
It was made TO serve tho cause OF
freedom may be learned in tho life Of
The great aboliiionist. William Lloyd
Garrison which was the EDITORS
name. Isl Nicholas